Renteria Wants To Retire With Cardinals Or Marlins

One way or another, Edgar Renteria wants to bring his career full circle and return to the site of his postseason heroics. Few other players could say this and still keep their options open, but Renteria has some choices. Changing course from a recent statement that he would prefer to return to the Giants, Renteria told reporters in his hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia yesterday that he would like to retire playing either for the Cardinals or the Marlins (link in Spanish).

Over the course of nearly an hour of questioning, Renteria explained that he had been undecided about retirement following the World Series, so he sought the opinions of the baseball minds he admired most. "God sent me a message through the MVP, and I don't know if he did it so that I would retire or so that I would keep going," Renteria said. "In any case, I spoke with important baseball people like Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, and Manny Mota, and they suggested that I continue, and I'm motivated."

Renteria reiterated that he is willing to play second base as well as shortstop, though even after his down 2009 campaign, the 35-year-old stands out as a feasible backup and occasional starter on both sides of the bag. Both the Cardinals and the Marlins have their 2009 and 2010 starting middle infields under contract for 2011, though the Cardinal duo of Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan customarily leave more opportunities for spot-starts and substitutions than the Marlins' steady Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez. Though the Marlins aren't a fit for Renteria now, a spot could open up if they are unable to reach an agreement with Uggla and explore trading the second baseman.

If you were a Marlins fan you would know that Pudge would like to retire a Marlin also. He said so mid year when Tommy Hutton asked him. Bringing Pudge back isn’t that bad of a idea they have had discussions about it before.

If you were a Marlins fan, you wouldn’t just propose bringing back stars from yesteryear just because you’re feeling nostalgic. Why don’t we bring back Dave Magadan to man third base? If Orestes Destrade came out and said he wanted to play one more year with the Marlins, would you want the team to sign him? Everybody in Miami loves Pudge (once we get past the fact that he was juicing), but that doesn’t make him a better fit for the team in 2011 than Miguel Olivo or AJ Pierzynski or even Bengie Molina.

There’s a big difference between “wanting to continue playing for the Giants” and retiring with the Marlins or Cardinals. He could play for a couple of years and then start retiring; we haven’t heard the last of him.

i’d rather use Greene. i’m pretty confident he can provide subpar defense and a below average bat just like renteria at a much cheaper price. Greene also has speed, something Edgar no longer has. Besides, he’s out of options so its make or break time with him.

Yeah, just don’t come to Florida. We’ve got Bonifacio as our utility infielder. We have no spot for him. It’s that simple. Where would you put him? Uggla just came out and said that he thinks a deal with the Marlins will get done. Knowing that, there is no spot for Renteria on the Marlins roster.

The Marlins will get this deal with Uggla done. They got a public backlash when they let Cody Ross get away and they won’t let that happen with Uggla. They now know they have to have the public think they are REALLY committed to winning going into the new stadium in 2012. Uggla had a career year and he will get paid by the Fish.

The Marlins don’t have the money for him. Even if he came cheap, he’s not worth it. He had a good postseason, a good World Series run. That doesn’t make him a good investment for a team looking to build running up to a new stadium opening up. What we need is a lefty starter, bullpen help and a center fielder (b/c we all know that Maybin will likely be a bust AGAIN).

Edgar is exactly the kind of guy the Cardinals could use on the bench. He could spot start at SS and 2B for them, while providing average offense and average defense. One thing he has that Tyler Greene does not is experience. Who would you rather have at the plate pinch hitting in a postseason game? Tyler Greene or a former World Series MVP? Edgar is good clutch hitter, good in the clubhouse, and exactly the kind of player that succeeds on a Tony La Russa team.

He’s also exactly the kind of guy that Tony would play if he was batting .200. I’m not against signing Renteria. Far from it. Just saying if Renteria, who is old by middle infield standards, starts to lose it at the plate (highest OPS the last 3 years has been this year at only .706), guess who will refuse to bench him? Yup, the Cards good ol’ manager: Tony La Russa.

I don’t know if he’d really be that much of an improvement, but I do know that if the Cards got him cheap I’d cheer for him like no tomorrow… I know he left StL for Boston, but he was still a very popular player here, then and after. Wherever he goes, I hope he has a revival.